3.09.2009

This wasn't a "bike accident"

A Chattanooga man died on Friday in what reporters are apparently calling a "bicycle accident." David Meek, a bike shop owner (cyclist, friend, husband and father) was killed when a truck passed him on the left so close that the passing truck caught on his bag and pulled him under. It is not evident that any bicycle accidents were involved. A bike accident is when a cyclist makes a mistake. This was a collision caused by a criminally negligent truck driver. When you get behind the wheel of a multi-thousand pound vehicle, it is your duty to control that vehicle in such a way as that it doesn't hurt or kill anybody else. This is no different than if a person wielding a chain saw decided to cut down a tree that another person was leaning on. Or a man wielding a gun decided to shoot into a crowd because he thought there was enough room for the bullet to get through. This wasn't a bike accident. Unfortunately it was JUST a cyclist. Not a cop. Not the mayor's daughter or wife. Not anybody the law cares about. So it'll just be labelled an "accident" and forgotten. story

3 comments:

It is good to remember fallen friends for their merits. And while high end local are not necessarily exclusive, I understand the frustration with lazy media.

Regardless the kind of bike shop David Meek worked at is not as important as changing the language we use in referring to these kinds of incidents.

Calling it an accident implies the driver had no intention to hurt anyone... but intention is not something we can ever know. We can take the driver's word for it and because the cyclist is dead there is no one to refute the driver's word. So even if the collision was intentional we will give the driver the benefit of the doubt.

the idea that a human can just shrug their shoulders and be done with it is disturbing and infuriating.